Rev. Soc. Bras. Enferm. Ped.2022;22:eSOBEP2022017.
Mobile apps to support the breastfeeding of premature infant in the neonatal icu: an integrative review
DOI: 10.31508/1676-379320220017
Abstract
The objective of this review is to analyze the production of mobile applications as a support tool for mothers/fathers in the breastfeeding process of premature newborns in the neonatal unit and to identify the mobile applications available on the Google Play Store related to breastfeeding of premature newborns in a neonatal unit. The integrative review was carried out in November 2021 in the databases: Virtual Health Library, PubMed Central Portal, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Cinahl and on the Sucupira platform with the following descriptors in portuguese: “Recém-Nascido Prematuro”, “Aleitamento Materno”, “Aplicativos Móveis”, “Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal”, and their correspondents in English: “Mobile phone”, “Premature Infant”, “Intensive Care Units, Neonatal” and “Breast Feeding”. It is worth mentioning that, for the selected productions that referenced the names of the applications, a search was carried out on the Google Play Store Platform in order to locate information about the availability and validation of the application.In addition, another search was carried out on the digital platform Google Play Store in December 2020. In the search for scientific bases, four productions were selected. Of these, two were master’s dissertations carried out and published in Brazil in Portuguese, one article in Iran and one in Spain, both published in English. As for the type of study, two productions were of a methodological nature, one was an experimental study without randomization and the other an observational study. Of the four productions, one was about an application aimed exclusively at breastfeeding, to be used both in the neonatal unit and in the home environment. Three productions dealt with applications in the context of the neonatal unit, but they were not applications aimed exclusively at breastfeeding. In the Google Play Store search, four apps were selected. Two of them were intended exclusively for premature newborns and two for newborns regardless of gestational age. Only one application was for exclusive use in a neonatal unit. It is evident that there were few scientific productions and applications found directed to mothers/fathers of premature newborns with the exclusive purpose of supporting the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding in neonatal units.